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Changes under way for Baltimore Summer Antiques Show

BALTIMORE — Kris Charamonde, president and managing partner of the Palm Beach Summer Antiques Show, has a vision in mind for the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, which his group acquired last year. The action plan starts with adding a fourth day to the 550-dealer event.

“As you know, the show is held over Labor Day weekend and attracts a great number of people who come from out of town. By adding a day to the show — Thursday — the connoisseur or collector can attend it and still go away for the weekend, if they wish.”

Charamonde and his Palm Beach Summer Antiques Show business partners, Scott Diamont and Rob Samuels, had expansion plans on their radar back in mid-October, when they announced they had recently acquired the Baltimore show from Frank Farbenbloom. In a conversation with Antique Trader, Charamonde elaborated on the group’s immediate goals and the reasons for implementing them.

“I see the show as having two dimensions — one for the public, who know it as one of the best buying shows for collectors — and another for dealers who shop the show. We’ve had a really good response from dealers about adding Thursday to the dates. Some have told us that, in the past, if they had invitations for Labor Day, they wouldn’t go because they would rather attend the show. A lot of dealers from New York and Philadelphia had said, ‘Why not open on Thursday?’ So now they can go shopping and still go home and do the family thing for Labor Day.”

Charamonde said adding floor space is also on the horizon for the Baltimore show, now in its 26th year. “We’re working to make it larger and will be taking more space in future years. It’s already the most important show of its kind in the summer and is one of the most eclectic. It has a unique dynamic. We have not only boutique antique dealers from all over the country, but also from around the world — Hong Kong, Japan and all over Europe. The upcoming show has five new exhibitors from California. Our long-term plan is to get a larger and even better mix of dealers.”

A change that visitors will notice immediately when they walk into the Aug. 31, Sept. 1-3 show is a “great entry … a really huge upgrade. Where we had a small hard-wall section before, we’ve tripled it so the entire front area of the show is all hard-wall room settings, with felt on the walls.” But, Charamonde added, there are no plans to squeeze out the exhibitors who opt for smaller settings to display fewer, very select pieces. “The mix is what gives the show its charm,” he said.

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is held in the Harbor Baltimore Convention Downtown at the Inner Harbor, and incorporates a 65-dealer antiquarian book fair. For more information, call 561-822-5440 or log on to www.baltimoresummerantiques.com.